The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-06-23
A LUCKY QUARTER.
A Mflliona1re's 25-Cent Piece in a
200 Case-How II Was Lost and
Found in the WiIds OF the West.

In that part of f fth avenue where
Ill the houses are palaces there is one
owned by millionaire from the Pacific
'lope who, after amassing fortune,
,ame to this city TO enjoy the luxury
which great wealth put at his disposal.
Beyond the parlors, which are filled
with rare objects of art from all over
The world, the rich man has his study.
The most noticeable thing in the room
Is a small table which stands next to a
big rosewood desk. There is nothing
On tho table save an exquisitely-carved
gold case with glass lid. Inside the
case, resting on the soft velvet, lies a
common everyday quarter of dollar.
A few days ago, while a reporter was
interviewing the California millionaire
on question of western politics he
found it impossible to keep his eyes
from wandering to the 81 900 case and
its 25-cent piece. The millionaire see
ing the reporters evident curiosity.
took the piece of money from its satin
lined resting place and handing it to
the reporter said
"You see that this coin is marked in
such way that there is no mistaking g
it. The letters G. w., with star be
fore and after them, were deeply en-
graved in the center of the piece of
money. 1t was the first given me in
San Francisco, in a saloon. l gave the
barkeeper a So rold- piece, and among
the change l noticed this marked coin.
picked it out. and putting it in anoth-
er pocket remarked TO nly friends that
would keep it as pocket-piece.
was as poor as poverty in those days,
but. like everyone else, l played faro
every time l had money enough to buy
a stack of chips. That night l got
around to Jim Moons game, and, as
usual, before Iquit l was cleaned out
and had not dollar left in the world
The next morning when l went to
work was told that the man who en-
ployed me had decided to move to
Sacramento and my valuable services
were no longer needed. l had had no
breakfast, and began feeling in my
empty pockets for some stray coin to
get cup of coffee. TO my intense
surprise l found that quarter. then
sat down and argued with myself
whether l should spend my last cent to
get something to eat, or if l should 90
back to the faro bank, where had lost
my money the night before, and make
a final effort to pull out square.
''Ihe gambling passion was strong
in me forty years ago. and decided to
take the chances and bet my last quar-
ter. Back to the gambling-hell hur-
ried. The game had just opened and
the first turn of the cards was being
made. Dollar chips were the smallest
ones in use just then. So threw down
my quarter between the six, seven, and
eight, and went over to the sideboard
and poured myself out Il glass of whis-
key-determined to have a drink for
my money, anyway. When l went
back to the table found two chips in
the place OF my 25 cents. reached
over to pick them up. but before 1
could do so the dealer turned the cards
and again l won. l played without
thought Of my empty stomach for
three hours and quit with $400. Be-
fore leaving l paid the dealer 81 for
my marked quarter. Then l went out
and had breakfast fit for the gods.
Every day for two weeks l gambled
and every day l won. kept that coin
always with me, and soon l had over
$4,000 in canvas bag. One night, as
was leaving the game, l met an old
woman who begged from me money
enough to get something to eat. had
as usual, been winning and was flush
ed with success To refuse woman
money for food when luck was all run
ming my way seemed heartless, so 1
reached down in my pocket and gave
her the first com l met. When l reach
ed home | searched everywhere for my
luck-piece, but it was gone. Ihad Civ
en- it to the beggar woman. The next
day lost heavily and determined to
play no NOR until found my quarter.
1t seemed hopeless task to find one
particular piece of money, but never
gave up hope and always looked care
fully at every piece of money receiv-
ed in change. At last Twas successful
In the same bar-room where 1 first got
my quarter received it again. / was
so elated that l treated the house to
champagne. That night for the first
time in my life, gambled at cards and
won So, 600. l went to Nevada soon
after and began to speculate in mines,
and in the course of time l made what
people call bonanza fortune.
''The only other time that quarter
ever left me lost the best friend ever
had. Poor fellow, he never had any
luck: everything he touched failed, and
when met him in Virginia City two
years after his arrival on the Pacific
slope he was in Us hard luck as any man
I ever saw. l put him in the way of
making some money, but everything
he got he lost at faro. One day he
heard me tell the story of my quarter
and asked me to loan it to him to see
if it would change his luck. He promised
not to part with the coin, SO granted
his request. He went to the game and
put SIS piece with my quarter on it in
the pot; that is, between the ace, deuce,
king, and queen. He then folded his
arms and rested his head on them.
Turn after turn was made, yet he never
once looked up. AS card after card
was turned murmers of surprise pass
cu dTOuuu Tue tdDle. 1u0 meu OIL ctcIl
side of my friend nudged him but he
never raised his head. The whole four
cards won out. and when the deal was
over my friend had $40, 752 piled up
in the middle of the table. The dealer
asked him to rake down his money and
let the new deal begin,-yet he never
moved. Some one, thinking he was
drunk and had gone to sleep, shook
him roughly by the shoulder. Heavily
he fell to the floor. Every rough man
there was shocked to find him dead.
The strain had been too much for him,
and his heart had stopped beating. Lat
er cashed his chips and sent the pro-
ceeds to his mother, who died thinking
her son had earned it by hard work. |
had to pay the gambler 800 for my
quarter, and it has never left me since. "
-Nev York Mail and Express.
A Heart Worth Winning.
.And do you love me so devotedly,